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Friday January 15, 3:27 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
PC World Technology Network and Virtual Technology Announce Strategic Marketing Partnership
Customized Marketing Program to Boost Traffic to E-commerce Site
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 15, 1999--The PC World Technology Network (www.pcworld.com) and Virtual Technology Corp. (OTC:VTCO - news; www.virtual-world.com) announced today a major strategic marketing partnership.
The program involves widespread advertising promotion and exposure throughout the PC World's online properties, including banner and medallion advertising, text e-mail newsletter promotions, and links to PC World editorial content.
Virtual Technology is an E-Commerce Web site specializing in computer hardware, software, and peripherals. With more than 42,000 SKUs from over 1,000 manufacturers, Virtual Technology has positioned itself uniquely in the rapidly expanding world of E-Commerce through astute management, strategic alliances and an ongoing series of visionary new products, services and sales strategies.
Most major brands are represented: IBM, Compaq, Hewlett Packard, Umax, Diamond Multimedia, 3Com, Cisco, Microtek, Sony, Hitachi, Acer, AST, Syquest, CTX, Kingston, Iomega, Viewsonic, Canon, Matrox, and Philips as well as many others.
The PC World Technology Network is the Web's leading provider of computer product review and how-to information to business managers online. The Network includes PC World Online (www.pcworld.com), Games.Net (www.games.net), and TipWorld (www.tipworld.com), and collectively reaches more than 2.6 million users per month. TipWorld is the world's largest publisher of technology information by e-mail, with more than 75 million reader-requested newsletters delivered each month.
''PCWorld delivers a strong market segment of business managers which coincides well with our marketing strategy. This alliance will further strengthen the traffic to our sites and enable us to build on our rapidly growing base of customers. Our new auction site (www.vtcoauctions.com) will also benefit from the alliance and increased traffic,'' said Greg Appelhof, president and chief executive officer of VTC.
''According to our most recent User Study, 96% of PC World Online visitors buy products online,'' said Thomas Gewecke, Publisher of PC World's Online Services Group, ''Moreover, 92 percent plan to buy PC systems, peripherals, or software within the year-consequently, we're pleased to offer Virtual Technology's leading service to our readers.''
As part of the marketing partnership, Virtual Technology will link to PC World Online editorial content reviewing specific categories and products. The program also includes a customized, graphical advertising position on PC World Online's Top 400 section, which features the top PC products and peripherals tested and ranked every month.
Virtual Technology's strategic partnership with the PC World Technology Network is the latest step in the company's plan to deliver a superior service to customers. Virtual Technology's Service Net Program offers extended warranties and onsite service for equipment sold via its Web site: virtual-world.com. For the first time, online consumers are able to select from several service options--which may extend the manufacturer's warranty for up to four years and also provide on-site service, instead of the traditional carry-in parts-and- labor warranty.
Over 90 percent of VTC's orders are shipped by 5 p.m. the same day from an inventory of over 42,000 SKUs available at regional warehouses strategically located around the USA and abroad. Backed by Ingram Micro and Graphics Technologies, Inc., its primary suppliers, VTC guarantees satisfaction and top caliber customer service.
Customers can access virtual-world.com 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through home or office computers. Selection is made from high performance, proprietary and brand name products available at the very best prices. Detailed descriptions and photos are also available. Customers may browse through an easy to navigate Web site or use customized searches or inquire direct via toll-free 800/844-0041.
About Virtual Technology Corp.
Virtual Technology Corp. (OTC:VTCO - news) is a publicly held Minnesota based company with offices in Minneapolis, Minn., incorporated since February 1996. VTC is an online retailer of computer hardware and software products. The company's strategy is to become the ''Premier WWW Site for Speed, Power, and Graphics'' through its focus and marketing strategy, depth of market selection, competitive pricing and high quality content.
About PC World Communications Inc.
PC World Communications Inc. is a business unit of IDG, the world's leading IT media, research and exposition company. IDG publishes more than 290 computer magazines and newspapers and 700 book titles and offers online users the largest network of technology-specific sites around the world through IDG.net (http://www.idg.net), which comprises more than 225 targeted Web sites in 55 countries.
IDG is also a leading producer of 168 computer-related expositions worldwide, and provides IT market analysis through 49 offices in 41 countries worldwide. Company information is available at idgcorporate.com.
Statements in this Press Release that are not purely historical are ''forward looking statements'' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements regarding VTC's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future generally, VTC's growth strategy, future sales and anticipated trends in VTC's business. All forward looking statements included in this Press Release are based on information known to VTC on the date hereof, and VTC assumes no obligation to update any such forward looking statements. It is important to note that actual results could differ materially from those in such forward looking statements as a result of a number of factors, most of which are out of the control of VTC, including, but not limited to, VTC's early stage of development, its lack of profitability and cash flows and competition for the sale of hardware and software products both on and off the internet.
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